Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium, India's first LED Dome Planetarium, highlighting India's scientific traditions and recent achievements in space and research. The facility represents a significant investment in scientific infrastructure and education.
The government has launched a ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme to ensure adequate funding for researchers and help transition new technologies from laboratories to practical applications. This complements existing initiatives including over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs that have benefited more than one crore students, the One Nation One Subscription program providing access to international scientific journals, and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation supporting university research.
India has made unprecedented progress in space technology, with ISRO achieving several milestones including Chandrayaan-3's successful landing near the Moon's South Pole, the Aditya-L1 solar observatory, and becoming the fourth country to demonstrate docking and undocking capabilities in space. The government opened the space sector to private participation, enabling startups to launch rockets, place satellites in orbit, and undertake previously unavailable activities.
Space technology applications are being used for public welfare, including a satellite communication system for fishermen that provides storm alerts and tracks safe returns, a Real-Time Train Tracking System developed with ISRO, and satellite data integration in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for crop yield estimation and insurance claim processing.
Indian students have demonstrated exceptional performance in international science competitions, winning multiple gold and silver medals in the International Olympiads for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, setting record achievements for the country.